A ‘Material’ suit: A clothing company has filed a lawsuit against Madonna that says the pop megastar’s fashion line for teens, Material Girl, is infringing on its brand. Reuters reports that L.A. Triumph says in court documents that it has been selling clothing under the same name since 1997, and that the singer -- who, for the record, has been dubbed the Material Girl since 1985 -- does not “have the right to trade in the same space under this brand.” The suit was filed Thursday in California District Court. Madonna has yet to comment on the matter, nor have reps for Macy’s, the department store where Material Girl apparel is sold. Madonna designed the ’80s-reminiscent line with her 13-year-old daughter Lourdes.

Celeb salon owner asserts innocence:Maria Gabriela Perez, the Beverly Hills salon owner currently facing two counts of fraud after allegedly making unauthorized charges to the credit cards of famous clients, has pleaded innocence online. On the Facebook page for the salon Chez Gabriela, a status update says, “You are invited to remember that everyone is innocent until proven otherwise. Chez Gabriela will be exonerated of all allegations soon.” In the meantime, Perez is currently on house arrest after being released on $50,000 bail. According to the New York Daily News, Perez, 51, racked up more than $200,000 of unauthorized charges to two of actress Liv Tyler’s American Express cards, and another $68,000 in unauthorized charges to a card belonging to a high-end jewelry designer. She could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted on both counts.

Wait, novelists make money?: The term struggling writer clearly does not apply to the scribes who rank high on the rundown of 2009’s highest-paid authors. Forbes -- a magazine that specializes in publishing lists of people who make more money than you do -- has released its new ranking of revenue-generating authors, which is topped by crazy-prolific thriller-generator James Patterson, who earned $70 million last year. In second, not surprisingly, is “Twilight” author Stephenie Meyer, whose vampire-oriented earnings totaled $40 million. And in third is another crazy-prolific man, Stephen King, who made $34 million. Despite all these impressive numbers, the publishing industry is apparently still doomed. You know, just in case you were wondering.

Wait, “Lost”? Didn’t that show end in emotional but not entirely conclusive fashion back in May? Yes, but the addictive, tropical puzzler is again attracting attention for several reasons, including: the auction of “Lost” props and memorabilia this weekend in Santa Monica, Calif., (hey, can someone loan us the money to buy Hurley’s Camaro?); Tuesday’s arrival of the sixth season on DVD and Blu-ray, complete with the much-debated 12-minute epilogue to the show; and the fact that the series will compete in 12 Emmy Award categories when that ceremony is held Aug. 29. Toss in fresh buzz about “Lost” star Josh Holloway being considered for the lead in a “Rockford Files” remake, and that’s just more proof that, while the island may move, it hasn’t disappeared from the zeitgeist.

Post film critic Ann Hornaday gave high marks to “The Switch,” the new Jennifer Aniston/Jason Bateman rom-com, which leads us to believe the movie is entertaining. Still, some have questioned the ethics behind the movie’s premise, about a guy (Bateman) who hijacks the pregnancy of his best friend (Aniston) by replacing the donated sperm for her artificial insemination with his own. Naturally we asked readers what they thought about the plot. Their responses:

---------------------------------

You Said It: A selection of notable reader comments from the past week...

Liz isn't on maternity leave. She's writing a novel so she can get on Forbes list. The whole baby thing was just a ruse. The first clue was that she named the baby after a tv character. C'mon who does that in real life?

ep, I think you're on to something! Although, I suspect Queen Liz' novel-writing plans hark back considerably further, at least to when she named her cats after TV characters (Andy and Opie, from "The Andy Griffith Show"). Coincidence? I think not.

I wonder if Liz' novel will be about a group of witty and beautiful bon vivants and raconteurs cast away on an island, who gather daily 'round a Tiki Bar to snark about celebrities, like latter-day members of the Algonquin round table. If so, do you know whether we retain copyright rights over our respective verbal jousts, or does the Post, or Liz?